Vegan Day 14

Sunday, January 27, 2013

So last week I lost 6 pounds and was pretty sure that it was water weight, but this week I lost another pound, so maybe it's permanent loss? That would be nice. I am almost back down to my pre-Christmas weight. That is, if you count the Christmas season as starting at Thanksgiving, because I went off the rails then and never really got back on them.

I actually had people over for dinner last night, including my department head, who grew up in the Midwest in the 1960s and thinks that chicken and dumplings on top of mashed potatoes is a good meal. (OK, it's actually a really good meal, just not a healthy one.) He was pretty much convinced that he was going to starve or die or something, but he was pleasantly surprised. I made a red sauce with lots of mushrooms in it, and served it over pasta. We had a big salad with arugula and tomatoes and cucumbers and spring onions, and homemade focaccia with sauted red onions, sundried tomatoes and black olives. Oh, and broccoli. And red wine. Yum.

I went over my calories for the day, but I've been under for most of the week, and I think it's probably fine. My rule for myself is that I can only eat to the low end of my calories today to make up for it. And my big binge was 182 calories over the high end of my range, so it's not like I really went overboard. That's one of the really nice things about doing this vegan thing. If I had had an extra serving of pasta with meat sauce, it would have been double that, and that is not even taking into account the cheese that would be involved.

Two more weeks of this. It's not bad. I couldn't see doing it for my whole life, but I could totally see eating vegan 18 out of 21 meals a week. Have the option of having fish a couple times, and then red meat once? I could totally live like that.

great ideas.. you are right about the meat sauce you would have been over in a second.. nice thing about veggies... i'm making a chicken veggie soup as i type.. got to have stuff around that i can just grab for any meal.. cheers!

I love that you were able to cook dinner for others, stick to the vegan challenge, and wind up making something tasty. It sounds really good and it does sound like it offers you a bit more flexibility.

If protein wasn't such a critical thing for me & PCOS, I'd consider trying out vegan. Carbs aren't the devil, but I still have to keep an eye on them. I definitely like the idea of some meatless meals during the week though. Hearing your experiences makes me think it's definitely possible

You're doing great. While of course I will continue to encourage you and your vegan ways, I understand it's not necessarily for everyone. (I'm not even 100% vegan!) However, by doing what you suggest - staying ~80% vegan will do wonders for your health, the environment, and save a whole bunch of animals from torture and death. Kudos to you!

Congrats on the weight loss! You are doing really well. It is so HARD and YOU are DOING it!!! I have done a few vegetarian weeks and have been shocked at how much I enjoy them. I can't see myself eating that way all the time but it sure has helped me add more of those meals to my life. I bet you got some of those friends/co-workers thinking too! Enjoy your week! I was glad you enjoyed a glass of vino too!

You are doing such a wonderful job. I admire your commitment to your goals and like the idea of flexibility in the future. I read an article about a year ago in Cooking Light that said a lot of people are incorporating vegetarian/vegan eating into their diets, but not totally. These folks are allowing for the occasional piece of chicken or beef or whatever. They are calling themselves flexitarians. I'm glad you are enjoying this journey.